The present invention relates to a bed, and particularly to a chair bed that can be manipulated to achieve both a conventional bed position having a horizontal sleeping surface upon which a person lies in a supine position and a sitting position having the feet of the person on or adjacent to the floor and the head and back of the person supported above a seat formed by the bed. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hospital bed or a patient-care bed which is convertible to a chair and which is configured to facilitate several activities that may be performed by a caregiver for a person on the sleeping surface of the bed.
Many hospital beds are positionable to a configuration having the sleeping surface of the bed at a predetermined height above the floor and having side rails positioned to restrain the movement of a person lying on the sleeping surface past sides of the sleeping surface and off of the bed. The sleeping surfaces of many such hospital beds can typically be lowered to reduce the distance between the sleeping surface and the floor, and the sleeping surfaces of such beds can often be manipulated to adjust the position of the person on the sleeping surface. In addition, the side rails of these hospital beds can typically be moved to a position away from the sleeping surface to facilitate movement of the person on the sleeping surface from the supine position on the sleeping surface to a standing position on the floor near the bed.
According to the present invention, a patient support apparatus is provided including a support and a platform. The support includes a base and a strut coupled to the base. The platform includes a seat portion and a head portion pivotably coupled to the seat portion. The head portion is pivotably coupled to the strut. The patient support apparatus further includes at least one pair of bars pivotably coupled to the support and pivotably coupled to the seat portion. The at least one pair of bars and the strut are configured to automatically coordinate pivoting movement of the head portion relative to the seat portion as the seat portion moves downward toward the base.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a patient support is provided including a base and a patient support platform positioned above the base. The patient support platform includes a seat portion and a head portion pivotably coupled to the seat portion. The patient support further includes a plurality of links coupled to the patient support platform and coupled to the base. The head portion is pivotably coupled to at least one of the plurality of links. The plurality of links being configured to automatically coordinate pivoting movement of the head portion relative to the seat portion during upward and downward movement of the seat portion relative to the base.
According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, a patient support is provided including a base and a patient support platform including a seat portion and a head portion pivotably coupled to the seat portion. The patient support further includes a plurality of links coupled to the support platform and coupled to the base. The head portion is pivotably coupled to at least one of the plurality of links. The plurality of links is configured to automatically coordinate upward pivoting movement of the head portion relative to the seat portion as the seat portion moves downward toward the base.
Additional features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.